Broker tips: Smiths Group, Premier Foods, Hays
7th Oct 2011 12:42
Nomura has downgraded Smiths Group, the medical devices and airport scanner maker, from neutral to reduce, saying that the firm is "likely to grow slower than other companies in our coverage universe". "Smiths Group is a conglomerate of five businesses and its end market exposure is one of the most
Read moreBroker snap: UBS stays confident about Hays
7th Oct 2011 12:36
UBS has reiterated its buy rating on recruitment firm Hays, after its first quarter "confounded gloomy expectations". However, the target price is cut from 105p to 100p, after accounting for foreign exchange movements in the last five weeks. Nevertheless, the broker says that its underlying growth
Read moreUPDATE: Friday broker round-up
7th Oct 2011 09:28
Premier Foods: Credit Suisse cuts target to 8p from 25p. Compass: Credit Suisse keeps at outperform. EnCore: Royal Bank of Scotland raises target to 70p from 46p. Mouchel: Royal Bank of Scotland lowers target price to 18p form 75p. Hays: UBS keeps at buy, lowers target to 100p from 105p. Smi
Read moreFriday tips round-up: Intermediate Capital, Hays, Victrex...
7th Oct 2011 06:56
Even if all the analysts in all the world think your shares are a raging buy, it may not help much in these markets, says the Tempus column in the Times. Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) shares, before yesterday's 16p bounce to 214p, had lost 41 per cent of their value since August 7. Therefore, acc
Read moreUPDATE: Thursday broker round-up
6th Oct 2011 09:28
Intermediate Capital: RBS cuts target from 405p to 360p, buy rating maintained. EasyJet: Credit Suisse upgrades to overperform from neutral. RyanAir: Credit Suisse upgrades to overperform from neutral. Tesco: Credit Suisse reiterates overperform with target at 500p. Tesco: Evolution Securities
Read moreHays looks abroad for growth
6th Oct 2011 07:42
Hays, the recruitment firm, has seen like-for-like worldwide growth of 15% in net fee income with its Asia Pacific arm achieving 21% growth in the three months to the end of September. The UK and Ireland, however, has posted a 4% like-for-like (LFL) decline, with private sector growth of 2% offset
Read moreUPDATE: Tuesday broker round-up
4th Oct 2011 08:25
BHP Billiton: Citi reiterates buy and keeps target at 2,405p. BHP Billiton: Credit Suisse upgrades to outperform from neutral; cuts target to 2,800p from 3,160p. Anglo American: Credit Suisse downgrades to neutral from overperform. Lonmin: Credit Suisse downgrades to underweight from neutral. S
Read moreUPDATE: Tuesday broker round-up
20th Sep 2011 13:38
BAE Systems: Societe Generale upgrades to buy, raises target to 330p from 280p. Kesa Electricals: Espirito Santo downgrades to sell, cuts target from 110p to 75p. Wilmington Group: Peel Hunt upgrades to buy. Moneysupermarket.com: Brewin Dolphin upgrades to buy. Barratt Developments: Citigroup up
Read moreFriday tips round-up: Restaurant Group, Hargreaves Lansdown, Hays
2nd Sep 2011 06:48
Restaurant Group operates the Frankie & Benny's, Chiquito and Garfunkel's brands. It showed good form in the half year to early July, growing adjusted pre-tax profits by 7.7 per cent to £24.6m. The group also grew its sales on outlets open at least a year by 3%, adding it had continued this momentum
Read moreLondon close: Stocks close higher after choppy day
1st Sep 2011 16:39
The FTSE 100 finished in the blue having flitted between positive and negative territory for much of the day. Wealth manager Hargreaves Lansdown was the star performer after its results. Assets under administration climbed 41% in the year ended 30 June. The wealth management firm hiked its dividen
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Charter rises, Melroses falls after offer increase
1st Sep 2011 14:40
Charter International is in demand after engineering firm Melrose upped the price it is willing pay for its rival by 18p per share. Charter is valued at £1.43bn at this price. Melrose saw shares fall. International recruitment firm Hays jumped after reporting strong growth in profits last year, dr
Read moreBroker tips: Hargreaves Lansdown, DMGT, Hays
1st Sep 2011 12:55
Singer Capital Markets says its fair value rating on wealth management firm Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) is currently under review but has highlighted the group's in-line final results, strong dividend payment and robust current trading. "Considering the increasing volatility of markets towards the com
Read moreBroker snap: Buy Hays for the yield, says Merchant Securities
1st Sep 2011 12:30
Merchant Securities has reiterated its positive stance on FTSE 250 recruitment firm Hays, saying "continue to buy for [the] yield". The group reported on Thursday that trading was strong across most regions in the year to 30 June, with pre-tax profit coming in slightly ahead of the broker's forecas
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 falls but RBS leads banking surge
1st Sep 2011 12:30
London's leading share index has drifted into the red following strong gains earlier in the week, but there are still some notable risers. Wealth manager Hargreaves Lansdown has raced ahead. Assets under administration climbed 41% in the year ended 30 June. The wealth management firm hiked its div
Read moreLondon open: Miners drag Footsie lower
1st Sep 2011 08:30
The FTSE 100 began September trading on a dull note, falling lower in the opening minutes on Thursday, with the mining sector largely to blame. The mining sector dropped as copper, gold and silver prices declined. Fresnillo, Lonmin and Randgold Resources were among the worst performers. Sector pe
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